Our best egg salad recipe calls for just a few simple ingredients. I love it tucked into sandwiches, wrapped in lettuce or tortillas, spooned over greens, or eaten by itself as a quick snack.
We’re a little picky about egg salad, so trust me when I say this is the one. It’s light instead of heavy, perfectly creamy without being too mayonnaisey, and brightened with fresh lemon juice and herbs for amazing flavor.
It comes together fast, especially if you already have hard-boiled eggs in the fridge (and if not, don’t worry, I’ve shared how to make them below). It also keeps well for up to 4 days, so consider making a double batch for easy lunches or snacks all week.
Key Ingredients
- Eggs: You’ll need hard-boiled eggs for this recipe. They’re simple to make, and I’ve shared how in the tips section below.
- Mayonnaise: Mayonnaise makes egg salad creamy and rich. For a lighter twist, substitute some or all of it with plain yogurt or mashed avocado (like I do in my avocado egg salad). When I have it on hand, I love using homemade mayonnaise for even better flavor.
- Celery: A little finely chopped celery adds freshness and crunch. You can also experiment with minced onions, chopped dill pickles, or even diced apples (apples may sound unusual, but they are delicious).
- Fresh Herbs: Chives are my favorite for egg salad, but parsley or dill work beautifully, too. I use chives in my favorite scrambled eggs recipe, too.
- Lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice brightens everything and balances the richness of the mayo, making the salad taste lighter and fresher.
Find the full recipe with measurements below.
How to Make My Favorite Egg Salad
Tip 1: How to boil eggs for egg salad. I have two favorite methods for making perfectly cooked eggs for egg salad. The first is done on the stovetop (see below), and the second uses the Instant Pot (you can find that method here: Instant Pot Boiled Eggs). Both methods give you tender whites and creamy yolks, perfect for egg salad.
To cook eggs on the stove:
- Add the eggs to a saucepan in a single layer and cover with at least an inch of water.
- Bring the water to a boil, then let it boil for 30 seconds.
- Turn off the heat, cover with a lid, and let the eggs sit for 12 minutes (for large eggs).
- Transfer the eggs to an ice water bath to cool, then peel.
Tip 2: Make the salad. Once you have cooked eggs, the salad goes quickly. Peel your eggs, then chop them into small pieces. Add them to a bowl and toss with finely chopped celery, chives, a bit of lemon juice, and mayonnaise. Season with salt and pepper, and you’re all set.
Serving Suggestions
I love this salad for egg salad sandwiches, which I usually keep open-faced on lightly toasted bread spread with a bit of butter. This is also fantastic wrapped, either in flour tortillas or in lettuce cups. I’ll often munch on this all by itself or with some sliced cucumbers or crackers.
It’s a great topping for salad (especially with this lemon vinaigrette). And, finally, it makes incredible toasts for breakfast. Start with avocado toast, then add the egg salad, some thinly sliced radish, and more fresh herbs. Delicious!
More Easy Salads
Easy Egg Salad
- PREP
- COOK
- TOTAL
This is my favorite way to make egg salad! I keep it really simple with mayo, herbs, a little crunch from celery, and some lemon juice. I don’t add mustard, but if you love it, add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon. Instructions below include cooking the eggs on the stove. If you have an Instant Pot, see my Instant Pot hard boiled eggs. If you love avocado, I also recommend our avocado egg salad!
You Will Need
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons mayonnaise or substitute plain or Greek yogurt, try homemade mayo
1 medium-length celery stalk, finely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped chives, parsley or dill
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions
1Cook the eggs: Place the eggs in a single layer in a saucepan and cover with cold water by 1 to 2 inches. Heat over high heat until the water comes to a rolling boil. Cover the saucepan with a lid, cook for 30 seconds, then remove from the heat and let stand for 11 to 12 minutes. A minute or so before the eggs finish cooking, prepare a bowl of ice water.
2Cool the eggs: Transfer the cooked eggs to the ice water using a slotted spoon and leave for 5 minutes (or longer).
3Prepare the eggs: Crack egg shells and carefully peel them away. If the shells are not easily peeling away from the eggs, place them back into the ice water and try again in 5 minutes.
4Make the salad: Dice the hard-boiled eggs and add them to a bowl. Stir in the mayonnaise, celery, herbs, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Storing: Homemade egg salad can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. We do not recommend freezing it.
- Eggs: Instructions for eggs are for large eggs, for medium or extra-large, see this hard boiled eggs tutorial with accurate timing.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates. We assumed mayonnaise and did not include any bread.
I wanted simple egg salad and this delivered. I added parsley and a lil mustard and it was delish. Thank you for sharing.
There is nothing like Mayo, celery, onion and just a smidge of horseradish salt and fresh cracked pepper.
YUM!! I’m definitely going to add dill pickles. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you so very much for your amazing mayo recipe… I just made three batches, one for my two daughters and one for me. I cant have soy bean oil of any kind. Your home made mayo is quick and easy…taste great! Can’t wait to make this egg salad with your mayo..I am sure it will be outstanding. 🙂
Has anyone tried the mayonnaise made from olive oil? I just bought some but have not opened it.
Nothing beats Hellmans Original Mayonnaise!!!
I’ve tried the olive oil kind, but it doesn’t beat the original.
I love pickles so they are for sure a great addition but I omitted the lemon juice, just didn’t think that was necessary with pickles. I will try it without pickles sometime though.
Sounds very good
I add cucumber salad dressing instead of mayonnaise, very tasty and fewer calories
that cucumber salad dressing sounds great! I have never noticed it but will look for it now. What a great idea to cut calories, and I’m sure it tastes great! Thanks for the tip!! ?
Delishhhhhhh
Sometimes I add a little chopped olive.
Thanks for the tip about the lemon!
I definitely can’t do egg salad without mayo, mustard, celery, and minced red onion. Top with a dash of salt and cayenne.. Delish!
I add a little grated onion and sliced green olives. I like to top an opened tomato with the egg salad. Delish!